[Removed user]

26 August 2019 at 12:06:24 #823593

The Swiss Travel Pass worked very well for my family on a recent trip. A few tips for other travelers:

• Print your travel passes. Conductors were faster and more efficient with multiple paper tickets than me fumbling around on a phone. Keep the passes somewhere waterproof or maybe even laminate them. You can print double-sided, but do print the entire page (I was berated by one conductor for trimming the small print at bottom).
• If you have kids, the passes labeled “Swiss Family Card” entitle them to free tickets anywhere the parents are able to go. E.g., for discounted gondola tickets, simply go to the cashier and purchase tickets for the adults at the discount rate and show the “Family Card” passes. You’ll be issued the paper tickets for your whole family. Ignore all posted child pricing you may see.
• Book seat reservations for the tourist hot zone train or gondola that you plan to take during peak hours (roughly 10am to 3pm) — e.g., Jungfraujoch, Schilthorn/Murren gondolas, etc. The 5 CHF/PP cost may save you an hour or more of standing in line. Better yet, get up early or skip the hot zones entirely.
• While waiting for a train, get to the appropriate boarding sector for the train’s 2nd class carriages. The train layout is displayed at most stations and is also in the SBB app. By getting yourself in the right place before the train arrives, you’ll be able to get your family and luggage situated with much less stress than if you follow the crowd of people who don’t pay attention to sectors.
• The SBB app was easy and indispensable! It gave us confidence to tightly navigate the timetables and bus/train/gondola connections. It also helped us reroute smartly when delays did happen (they do, even in Switzerland!) My only complaints are that the app had no offline timetable.

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[Removed user]

26 August 2019 at 12:26:13 #921044

Hello Weinhold,

Thanks a million for all of this valuable input about the Swiss Travel Pass and the Swiss Family Card, personal experiences are always the most valuable!

I hope you enjoyed your stay in Switzerland and will be back sometime in the future.

Take care.

Best,
Steph